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Kristin Smart
Real Name: Kristin Denise Smart Nicknames: Roxy Location: San Luis Obispo, California Date: May 25, 1996 Bio Occupation: Student Date of Birth: February 20, 1977 Height: 6'1 Weight: 145 lbs. Marital Status: Unrevealed Characteristics: Caucasian female. Dark blond hair, brown eyes. Case Details: Kristin Smart was a freshman student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo University (Cal Poly SLO) when she vanished. At 8:30PM on Friday, May 24, 1996, Kristin and her three female friends left the Cal Poly dorms in search of an off-campus party to attend that Memorial Day weekend. Kristin noticed a male friend drive by in a pickup truck and then flagged him down to drive her and her friends around. Kristin, her three female friends, and the male driver friend drove around the area for awhile in search of a party but did not find any they were interested in. At around 11PM, Kristin remembered that she'd heard of a birthday party at fraternity row just off campus; she suggested the group head to the party at 135 Crandall Way. Her three female friends weren't interested in that party, but she was, so they decided to drop her off a few blocks from the party house; her three female friends then headed back to campus with the male driver friend. One of the three female friends, Margarita Campos, mentioned that Kristin seemed disappointed that her friends didn't want to go to the party, but then stated that Kristin assured them that she would be fine and safe on her own at the party since she likely knew many students there. At around 2AM on May 25, the birthday party ended and party-goers dispersed, Kristin included. She was apparently so drunk that she passed out on the neighbor's front yard. Cheryl Anderson and Tim Davis had just left the party and noticed Kristin passed out on the neighbor's lawn, so they helped her to her feet. The three walked back to the campus and were soon approached by a fellow student and party-goer named Paul Flores. Flores offered to help the group walk Kristin back to the campus and even allowed her to lean on him for support since she was still tipsy. Tim said goodnight to the group and let Cheryl, Kristin, and Flores head back to the dorms together. Eventually, the trio arrived near the dorms. Cheryl lived further down the block from Kristin, so she asked if Flores wanted to see Kristin safely to her room. Flores agreed to walk her to her room and said goodbye to Cheryl. However, Flores claimed that the two parted ways that night, each going to their respective dorm rooms. Many suspected foul play on behalf of Flores. Kristin has been missing since the early morning hours of May 25, 1996. An extensive search of the campus turned up few clues. Fellow student and party-goer Paul Flores was the last person to see her and is the prime suspect in this still-open case. Suspects: Many individuals believe Paul Flores may have been involved in her disappearance since he was the last person to see her alive. Flores allegedly stated that he and Kristin went their separate ways on the night of her disappearance, each going to their own dorm rooms. Cadaver dogs were brought in to search through campus dorms. The dogs picked up the scent of a deceased human on the corner of Flores's mattress. Also, Flores was noticed having a black eye on the days following Kristin's disappearance. He told investigators several different stories about how he received the injury. It has also been noted that Scott Peterson, the man who murdered his pregnant wife, Laci, attended Cal-Poly around the time of Kristin's disappearance. Peterson denies involvement in the Kristin Smart case. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the September 20, 1996 episode, along with April Gregory, who vanished on the same night that Kristin did. Results: Unresolved. In 2002, Kristin was declared "presumed dead". On June 2, 2014 and again on August 1, 2014, a well-known, respected cadaver dog named Buster was allowed to search the backyard next to Paul Flores' family's house for possible human remains. The dog wasn't allowed into the Flores' backyard, just the neighbors, but despite the fact that he was in the neighbor's backyard, he alerted police to the fence that separated the Flores home from the neighbor's home; It possibly indicated that human remains could have been buried just over the fence in the Flores' backyard at some point or were still there. A soil sample was taken and came back with evidence there might be human remains on the Flores property, most likely those of Kristin Smart. Officer Parkinson of the San Luis Obispo police discredited and doubted the cadaver dog's sniffing abilities despite the fact that Buster the dog had discovered over 200 graves that contained human remains during his time as a police cadaver dog over the years. On September 6, 2016, an interesting tip on the possibility of the remains of Kristin Smart was given to the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department. After three days of digging at the Cal Poly campus that Smart attended, officials stated they found unidentified remains. Officials have stated that it may take months before deciphering whether or not the remains are human, let alone belong to Smart. In September of 2017, the Sheriff's Office announced that the dig was "beneficial" but did not elaborate. The investigation is ongoing and Kristin Smart's case remains open. Links: * Kristin Smart on Unsolved.com * Kristin Smart on Wikipedia * Kristin Smart on the Charley Project * Kristin Smart on the Doe Network * Find Kristin Smart.com * Find Kristin Smart Facebook Group * Missing woman's family won't let up on Irvine resident * Irvine man linked to missing Cal Poly student * Suspect in student's disappearance is fired * Second Cal Poly student since 1996 has disappeared * Chandra isn't only missing loved one * KSBY Investigates Kristin Smart Disappearance. * Kristin Smart may be buried near Cal Poly ‘P,’ sheriff says as excavation begins * Authorities unearth ‘items of interest’ in campus dig believeing it may be Kristin Smart * Sheriff’s Office calls dig for Kristin Smart beneficial — but won’t say why * Kristin Smart investigation continues 6 months after Cal Poly excavation * Kristin Smart’s family still looking for answers 23 years after the Cal Poly student’s disappearance * 23 years later, her case is still open: Kristin Smart podcast set to release this summer ---- Category:California Category:1996 Category:Disappearances Category:School-Related Cases Category:Unresolved